The present disclosure relates to fluid containers (also commonly referred to as bottles), and more particularly to bottles that, for example, are typically plastic and blow molded as a one-piece, unitary body having an opening through which fluid contents are introduced into and poured from the bottle.
Consumers have a comfort level with a bottle that has a center pour opening formed therein. Advantageously, such a bottle is also adaptable to a traditional filler, for example, of the type commonly used in the dairy industry. It is well-known that milk bottles have conventionally used a center pour opening dating back to glass bottle designs, and that the center pour opening design has been carried through into present-day plastic milk bottles that are widely used in the industry.
In a continued attempt to reduce costs associated with packaging, delivery, etc., a need exists for a bottle design that has desired attributes not associated with the conventional packaging of individual containers/bottles into cases (where cases are used to carry the stacking forces or load, rather than modifying the bottle to itself carry and transfer load), and a large number of bottles can be easily stacked (such as on pallets), that potentially eliminates use of slip sheets, and that still mimics the comfort and feel associated with a center pour bottle. Still other desired features may include a cap that has a breakaway tamper evident band, elimination of a foil seal, the ability to fill on a traditional filler, provision for enlarged surfaces on the bottle to maximize the amount of information that may be conveyed to the consumer, a desire to interlock adjacent bottles, an ergonomic handle, and the ability to palletize filled bottles to take advantage of reduced shipping costs.